Combined cigar cutting and branding device.



No. 764,035- PATENTBD JULY 5, 1904. H. F. BRANDENBURG.

COMBINED CIGAR CUTTING AND BRANDING DEVICE. v APPLICATION FILED MAY 23, 1903.

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UNITED STATES Patented July 5, 1904.-

PATENT OFF-ICE.

COMBINED CIGAR CUTTING AND BRANDING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 764,035, dated July 5, 1904.

Application filed May 23, 1903. Serial No. 158,502. (No model.)

1'0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN F. BRANDEN- BURG, a citizen of the United States, residing .at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Combined Cigar Cutting and Branding Device, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is a combined cigar cutting and branding device, the object being to provide a simple and efficient device by means of which the end of the cigar can be evenly severed; and another object is to provide a device which will brand or mark the cigar simultaneously with the cutting of the end; and a still further object is to accomplish branding by means of an electrically-heated branding-iron, thereby avoiding the heating of the iron by means of a flame, which has been found to be disagreeable, inasmuch as some free carbon is bound to accumulate upon the branding-iron.

With these objects in view the invention consists, essentially, in the employment of a base having a groove adapted to receive a cigar to be cut, a fixed knife arranged at one end of the base, a plunger-block carrying a movable knife, said plunger being provided with suitable guides and having a rod connected thereto carrying an insulated branding-iron, said branding-iron being connected to suitable electric conductors whereby the said iron is heated, so that the cigar held upon the base can be branded simultaneously with the severing of the end.

The invention consists also in certain details of construction and novelties'of combination, all of which will be fully described hereinafter and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a combined cutter and brander constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an end View. Fig. A is a vertical sectional view on the line 2 2 of Fig.2. Fig. 5 is an inverted plan view of branding-iron.

In constructing a device in accordance with my invention I employ a flat base A, which may be of any desired material, constructed with a longitudinal groove A adjacent to the longitudinal edge of said base. A gage B is .attached to the base and adjustable thereon,

so that cigars can be cut'any length desired, it being understood that the smaller or tapered end of the cigar is made to abut against the gage, and this gage consists of a flat longitudinally-slotted member B, through which the A fixed blade C is attached to the end of the.

base A, said blade having anotch C arranged in alinement with the longitudinal groove A of the base, and this notch is provided with a cutting edge. The removable cutting-blade D has a notch D arranged in alinement with the notch C, and this notched portion D of the blade is also provided with a cutting edge. This blade. D is rigidly attached to the end of the plunger-block E, which has a rod F rigidly connected thereto and passing therethrough, and this plunger-block is also provided with depending guide-pins G, which pass through the laterally-projecting ears or lugs H and H arranged upon the exterior of the guiding-frame H. Coil-springs I surround the lower ends of the pins Cr, said springs bearing their lower ends upon the ears or lugs H and at their lower ends against the collars K and K, attached to the pins G, the collar K being also connected to a cutting-blade D by means of screws K A forwardly-curved foot-piece L has a socket in its upper end in which fits the lower end of the rod F, the foot-piece being secured to the rod by a suitable screw L. To the lower'end of the foot-piece is arranged a horizontal branding-iron M, the curvature of the foot-piece causing the branding-iron to be suspended immediately above the groove A.

Suitable conductors, preferably insulated wires N, are carried to the binding-posts 0, arranged on the rear side of the base, and thence carried to the branding-iron M, to which they are secured by means of the binding-posts M.

A'suitable rheostat N is arranged in the electric circuit, by means of which the current can be controlled, preventing overheating of the branding-iron.

It will of course be understood that the branding-iron can be provided with any mark which it is desired to imprint upon the cigar. In operation the cigar is placed in the groove A, the tapered end resting against the gage, and by pressing downwardly upon the knob F the branding-iron is brought down upon the cigar, and the cutting-blades working past each other out off the end of the cigar in a neat and even manner. The branding-iron forming part of the electric circuit will be heated to such a degree that when brought into contact with the cigar will brand the mark or name upon the said cigar, and it will also be noted that the branding-iron being in contact with the cigar during the cutting operation will hold said cigar firm, thereby preventing any movement of the same during the cutting operation.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A combined cigar cutter and brander comprising agrooved base, a cutter and an adjustable gage at the opposite ends of said groove, a vertically-movable frame to the rear of the groove and provided with a cutter, a plunger-rod on the frame, a curved foot-piece at the lower end of the rod provided with a branding-iron in position to overhang said groove, and means for heating said iron electrically.

2. A combined brander and cutter compris ing a base having an adjustable gage, a fixed cutting-blade, a guiding-frame arranged upon the base, a plunger-block, the movable cuttingblade attached to the plunger block, the guiding device carried by the guidingframe, the spring-actuated means for returning the plunger-block to its normal position, the branding-iron connected with the plungerblock, and the electric conductors connected to the branding-iron, as specified.

3. A combined cutter and brander comprising a base having an adjustable gage, a guiding-frame, having laterally-projecting guidelugs, a fixed cutting-blade arranged at one end of the base, a movable cutting-blade, a plunger-block to which the movable cuttingblade is attached, a rod connected to the movable plunger-block and passing through the top of the guiding-frame, guide-pins carried by the plunger-block and passing through the lugs of the guide-frame, springs surrounding the lower ends of said pins, a forwardlycurved foot connected to the lower end of the rod carried by the plunger-block, a branding-iron carried by the foot, and an electric circuit comprising said branding-iron.

HERMAN F. BRANDENBURG.

Witnesses:

RICHARD HENZMANN, BENJ. ALEXANDER. 

